Palestinian children detained in the occupied Palestinian territory are being abused by Israeli forces and “routinely” interrogated without the presence of their parents, according to a report released Monday by Human Rights Watch (HRW).

The report comes as the number of Palestinian children arrested by Israel more than doubled since October 2015. As of February, there were 406 Palestinian children being held in Israeli military prisons, 108 of them under the age of 16, according to documentation by prisoners’ rights group Addameer.

Israeli forces have used unnecessary force in the arrest and detention of children, beaten them, and held them in unsafe conditions, according to video footage, lawyer reports, and interviews conducted by HRW with children who have been detained.

“Palestinian children are treated in ways that would terrify and traumatize an adult,” said Sari Bashi, Israel and Palestine country director for HRW. “Screams, threats, and beatings are no way for the police to treat a child or to get accurate information from them.”

International and domestic Israeli laws that provide special protections for detained children -- stating that the detention of children can be used only as a last resort and that the best interests of the child be prioritized -- are “routinely” ignored by Israeli forces, HRW affirmed.

Israeli police and military denied the contents of documentation released by HRW in July detailing Israeli forces choking, beating, and throwing stun grenades at Palestinian children.

HRW’s new report detailed three new cases of abuse against Palestinians children by Israeli forces which have occurred since a wave of violence spread across the occupied Palestinian territory in October.

The children aged 14, 15, and 16 -- corroborated by witnesses to the abuse, lawyers, and security camera footage -- told HRW that Israeli police hit and kicked them while in custody, and made them spend hours outside in the cold in the early morning and at night while handcuffed to chairs.

Security footage of 15-year-old Fayez's arrest, “appears to show at least seven police officers in riot gear participating in the arrest, including slapping and dragging the 53-kilogram boy and placing him in a chokehold. ‘It was a terrifying night,’ Fayez told Human Rights Watch. The boy’s father arrived during the arrest and said a police officer punched him in the face when he asked what was happening.”

According to children’s rights group, Defense for Children International-Palestine (DCIP), three out of four Palestinian children experience physical violence during arrest, transfer, or interrogation by Israeli forces.

DCIP reported in March that 41 Palestinian children have been killed in the occupied Palestinian territory since October. All were killed as a “direct result of intensified violence,” DCIP said in a statement, and all but one were killed by Israeli military forces.

The number includes 31 Palestinians under the age of 18 who allegedly carried out knife or gun attacks, as well as others shot dead during clashes.

Release of HRW's report comes as Israeli forces continue to be shielded by a long-standing Israeli policy of immunity for officers and soldiers accused of abuse and murder of Palestinians and Palestinian children.

The Israeli army closed on Sunday an investigation into the killing of a Palestinian teenager last summer by a senior Israeli commander, in a decision Israeli rights group B’Tselem has termed “an integral part” of the Israeli army’s “whitewash mechanism” of its own crimes.

The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) detained Monday morning the family of the prisoner Ahmed Nazal at Jalama crossing in Jenin while on their way to Megiddo prison.

Local sources told a PIC reporter that Israeli forces detained and investigated Nazal’s wife and his 4-year-old son at the crossing for several hours before forcing them to return to Jenin city.

The wife and her child were on their way to visit the prisoner Ahmed Nazal in Megiddo prison. More than one-third of the prisoners’ families are deprived of visiting their relatives held in Megiddo prison under security pretexts.

Four Palestinian teenagers turned themselves in to Israeli authorities on Sunday after spending time under house arrest.

Muhammad Tayih, 17, Yazan Ayub, 16, Murad Aalqam, 15, and Zayid Tawil, 17, turned themselves in to the al-Ramla Prison in order to serve their sentences, ranging from one to three years in prison.

The four are among 10 youth from the neighborhood of Beit Hanina north of occupied East Jerusalem, who were first detained at the end of June last year.

They were released on bail two weeks after their initial detention and put under house arrest. However, a recent court ruling sentenced them to actual prison sentences. The remaining six Beit Hanina teenagers are expected to turn themselves in in the coming days.

Aalqam was sentenced to 36 months in prison, al-Tawil and Tayih were sentenced to 28 months, and Ayub received a 14-month prison sentence.

The teenagers expressed worry at what would await them in prison, but said actual imprisonment would be easier that living under house arrest.

They added that the time they spent under house arrest had not been counted as serving part of their sentences.

The head of the Jerusalem Detainees and Prisoners' Families organization, Amjad Abu Asab, told Ma'an that some 129 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons are minors from East Jerusalem. He said this number included five young girls and six under the age of 14 held in juvenile detention centers.

According to prisoners’ rights group Addameer, 7,000 Palestinians were detained by Israel as of February, including 406 minors and 550 Palestinians from East Jerusalem.

Israeli soldiers kidnapped, late at night and on Sunday at dawn, at least eleven Palestinians, including children and a journalist, in different parts of the occupied West Bank, and summoned many for interrogation in a number of military centers.

The soldiers also invaded and bulldozed farmlands, in Gaza.

Several military vehicles invaded Silwad town, east of the central West bank city of Ramallah, searched many homes and kidnapped three Palestinians, identified as Saif Khalil Hammad, 19, Bilal Sobhi Hamed, 17, and Mo’men Bassem Hamed, 17.

The soldiers also invaded the home of Taleb Hamed, looking for his son, Tareq, 19, but he was not at home; he is a student of Birzeit University.A university student, identified as Bahaeddin Sheja’eyya, 19, was kidnapped after the soldiers invaded his home in Deir Jarir town, east of Ramallah.The soldiers also invaded Zawiya town, in the central West Bank district of Salfit, and kidnapped one Palestinian, identified as Monir Shaqqoura.

In the southern West Bank district of Hebron, the soldiers kidnapped Tamer Waleed Ghazi, 17, from the al-‘Arroub refugee camp, Monir Nasser Shadeed, 20, from Doura town, and Husam al-Misk, a student of the Al-Quds – Abu Dis University.

The soldiers also summoned for interrogation the head of Palestine Detainees’ Center Osama Shahin, and Jaber Rajoub, from Doura, in addition to a former political prisoner, identified as Zeid Abu Fannar, in Yatta town.

In occupied Jerusalem, the soldiers kidnapped a child, identified as Mohammad Ishaq Taha, 15, from his home in Qotna town.

Another Palestinian, who remained unidentified until the time of this report, was kidnapped from his home in Rafat town, north of Jerusalem.The soldiers also kidnapped Palestinian journalist, identified as Samah Dweik, 25, after invading her home in Ras al-‘Amoud neighborhood in Silwan town, in Jerusalem, and confiscated her computer and other equipment.

It is worth mentioning that Samah, a reporter with Quds News Network, is “blacklisted” by Israel, and has been denied access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, in Jerusalem, for the past several homes.

In addition, several Israeli military vehicles and bulldozers invaded Palestinian agricultural lands, close to the border fence near the Sheja’eyya neighborhood, east of Gaza city, before uprooting them. The soldiers also fired a number of rounds of live ammunition.

The Israeli vehicles also invaded lands in the Nahda neighborhood, in Rafah, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip; the invasion in the fifth in the last five days.

The popular committee for the support of al-Aqsa condemned the Israeli threats to transportation companies that transfer Muslim worshipers to the Aqsa Mosque.

The committee revealed that some shows of a periodical festival were cancelled because of Israeli practices including arrests and threats of Palestinian workers in the festival.

In a statement on Saturday, the committee which sponsors the festival of “Al-Aqsa Child Spring” called on Palestinians including children to attend the festival, affirming that Israeli threats will not prevent Palestinians from visiting al-Aqsa Muslims’ holy site.

Defense for Child International – Palestine Branch has reported that Israeli soldiers are systematically abusing Palestinian children, especially during invasions of their homes and while abducting them.

DCI said it documented many cases of abuse targeting Palestinian children after the soldiers stormed their families’ homes without any cause or justification, for both the invasions and the excessive use of force.

One of the cases is that of Ahmad Tamimi, 16, from Betunia town west of Ramallah, who was repeatedly beaten and assaulted by the soldiers after they invaded his family’s home to kidnap his uncle.

In a sworn affidavit, Tamimi told DCI that, on March 17, he was awakened by the very loud noise, shortly after midnight, to find eight Israeli soldiers surrounding his bed, in his own bedroom.

“For the first few seconds, I thought I was dreaming, but reality started sinking in when a soldier stared violently pulling me out of my bed, to drop me on the ground,” Tamimi said, “The soldiers then started kicking and beating me, and hitting me with their weapons while shouting in Hebrew. I started screaming and calling for my dad, while also trying to fend for myself, using my arms in an attempt to block their kicks and punches.”

“They tied my arms behind my back using plastic cuffs, and ordered to me to stand up and walk with them,” the child added, “I said I was unable to do so, and that is when one of the soldiers pulled me from my hair to force me to stand, then two soldiers grabbed me and forced me out of the room.”

The child also stated that one of the soldiers hit him with his rifle on his left cheek; he started feeling dizzy when the soldiers dragged him bedroom’s door, and started suffering severe pain.

After invading the home, the soldiers held the entire family in one room, and later moved Ahmad to the same room while handcuffed and his legs shackled, then they left the property after abducting his uncle, 30 years of age.

The family then untied their child and directly headed to the Palestine Medical Center in Ramallah; after examination, the doctors found various cuts and bruises to his head, forehead, left shoulder and right arm.

Since that incident took place, Tamimi has been afraid to sleep in his room alone, and constantly feels that the soldiers will surround and attack him again. He is always thinking about what they did to him, and is terrified of leaving home after dark.

On March 3, at least fifteen Israeli soldiers invaded, approximately at 3 at dawn, a home in the northern West Bank city of Jenin after smashing the front door.

The soldiers the grabbed Ahmad ‘Arqawi, 17, and his brother, 21, and started repeatedly pushing their striking against the walls.

“A soldier asked me about my name, I said Ahmad,” he said, “The soldier then slammed my head against the wall. I was in severe pain, and the soldiers forced my eight family members in the bathroom.”

“The soldiers dragged me out of my bedroom, tied my hand behind my back using plastic cuffs, and I could hear sounds of furniture being broken and destroyed by other soldiers searching our home,” he added, “Then three soldiers started kicking and punching me, and hitting me with their rifles, mainly on my head, chest and back. I started feeling dizzy, but they continued to shout and scream at me in Hebrew.”

One of the soldiers also pushed Ahmad’s head against every mirror in the bedroom, causing various cuts, especially on the right side of his head in addition to severe pain.

“They dragged me out of my bedroom to the living room, there; I saw many masked soldiers, and one of them forced me against the wall while strangling me,” the child added, “Another soldier brought a cup filled with water, and started pouring it in my mouth while the second soldier continued to strangle me while punching me with his other hand.”

The soldiers later dragged the child to the bathroom, where his family was held, and told him “look how your family members are screaming and crying, look at what we did to your family and your home – we wrecked it!”

They then forced him into the bathroom, with his family, and kidnapped his brother while repeatedly kicking, punching and beating him.

After the soldiers left the family home, and withdrew, the family called for an ambulance that took Ahmad to the Jenin governmental hospital, where he was treated for serious cuts and bruises in various parts of his body, including his head, face, shoulders and back.

The Government of Japan has donated $7 million in support of UNICEF’s humanitarian and development response to children in Palestine.

This new grant will enable UNICEF and partners to implement interventions which are critical for children’s well-being and protection from violence, and to ensure their access to basic services such as education, water and sanitation, protection or health and nutrition.

“Given the severe circumstances facing the Palestinian children on a daily basis, the Government of Japan highly appreciates UNICEF’s interventions in various areas to protect children and improve their living conditions through providing necessary cares and increasing their access to the basic services,” said Takeshi Okubo,Ambassador for Palestinian Affairs and Representative of Japan to the Palestinian Authority.

“We feel a strong need to protect Palestinian children from violence and to improve their ed access to their basic rights and services.”

According to WAFA, Japan said that its financial support will provide opportunities to strengthen Palestinian children’s resilience and their coping mechanisms in an increasingly tense environment. It will support an integrated, multi-sector response with a focus on securing the social protection and inclusiveness.

“The Government and the people of Japan have been most valued supporters of UNICEF’s mandate to improve the lives of the most vulnerable Palestinian children for years,” said June Kunugi, UNICEF State of Palestine Special Representative.

“We are very deeply grateful for Japan’s enduring commitment and generous support which will not only provide humanitarian relief, but also encourage recovery and system building benefiting Palestinian children and their families,” Kunugi added.

The Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) has reported that the Israeli army invaded, Thursday, several Palestinian districts in the occupied West Bank, searched and ransacked homes, and kidnapped at least fourteen Palestinians.

The soldiers also invaded the northern West Bank district of Jenin, and kidnapped four Palestinians, identified as Mahmoud Amin Farahati, Mohammad Sa’id Sweity, Mohammad Mitleq Sa’adi and Omar Nayef Sa’adi.

In addition, the soldiers kidnapped two Palestinian women, identified as Dalal Hashlamoun and Aida Saidawi, in occupied Jerusalem.

The PPS also stated that the soldiers kidnapped Majdi Suleiman ‘Ataya and a child, identified as Ismael al-‘Anqawi, 11, in the Central West Bank district of Ramallah and Al-Biereh.

Another Palestinian, identified as Yousef Shehada Khalil, 21, from Nour Shams refugee camp, in the northern West Bank district of Tulkarem, was kidnapped at ‘Ennab military roadblock, after the soldiers stopped his car.

Palestinian children detained in Ofek detention center are forced to work for long hours for very low wage, Palestinian sources revealed.

The Palestinian woman Aida Taqatqa, from Bethlehem, said that her detained 16-year-old son told her that the Ofek detention center administration forces Palestinian detained children to work for six hours per day in profit of an Israeli private society for less than 4 dollars.

Taqatqa said that her son is held in Ofek detention center along with his uncle amid very difficult detention conditions.

Each three prisoners are held in a very small room, she said. The representative of the PA committee for prisoners’ affairs Munqid Abu Atwan warned of the seriousness of Taqatqa’s statements.

Such statements need an urgent action from human rights organizations, he said. Abu Atwan said that forcing prisoners to work is "a form of slavery.” The committee will send a lawyer to Ofek detention center to check on the detained children's detention conditions.

The family of the Palestinian 12-year-old girl Dima al-Wawi demanded on Tuesday her immediate release from Israeli jails.

An Israeli military court convicted Dima last February for attempting to stab a settler using a knife. She was caught by a security guard at the entrance of Karmi Tsur settlement, according to the indictment.

The Palestinian girl Dima, who is the youngest female captive in Israeli jails, was sentenced to 4.5 months of actual imprisonment in addition to an 8000-shekel fine.

The family’s demand came within a campaign led by lawyers and activists in human rights organizations for the release of the child.

They all underlined that sentencing the girl is illegal and runs contrary to the international law as well as to the Israeli law which does not allow the imprisonment of any minor below 14 years old.

The Israeli Magistrate Court refused on Tuesday to release the Palestinian youngest prisoner in Israeli jails.

The Magistrate's Court ruled that the 11-year-old Ali Alqam from the Shuafat refugee camp will be sent to a Ministry of Welfare supervised residence for approximately one year, Yediot Ahranot Hebrew newspaper said.

The court censored the majority of the ruling's details because the defendant has not reached the legal age of criminal responsibility, 12, the newspaper said.

“According to the law, Israeli authorities cannot arrest or interrogate the 11-year-old boy under caution. This is the first time legal authorities have come across such a young detainee, thus they find themselves in a legal dilemma.”

After concluding his physical rehabilitation treatment at the Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center, the young detainee was sent to a Ministry of Welfare supervised residence, where he can leave for short vacations and his parents can visit him, the newspaper said.

In a year, the Magistrate Court will hold another hearing on whether or not he needs to stay at the supervised residence, taking into account the evaluations of Ministry of Welfare officials.

On the other hand, the lawyer Youssef Hadad said that the court postponed the hearing of Ali’s cousin Muawiya Alqam, 14, who was also arrested during the incident, till April 18.

Muawiya refused to stay in a Welfare supervised residence and preferred to be held in HaSharon prison to be then moved to Megiddo prison. The two boys from the Shuafat refugee camp were charged of carrying out a stabbing attack on the light rail train in occupied Jerusalem’s Pisgat Ze'ev neighborhood on Nov.10, 2015.